Farmer from Bide Shares Four Agricultural Methods for Water Scarcity in India

As the southwest monsoon weakens, farmers in many regions of India are facing prolonged droughts and soil moisture depletion.

According to the latest assessment by the India Drought Monitor from IIT Gandhinagar, over half of the country was under drought or dry conditions as of September 16, 2026. The area affected by such conditions has increased from 38.9 percent about a month ago to 52.5 percent.

Maharashtra is one of the states experiencing constant drought stress, with the Marathwada region recording a rainfall deficit of 36 percent between June 1 and September 20.

This situation is causing concern at a critical time for agriculturalists. Although Kharif crops are nearing harvest in several places, the remaining soil moisture and water reservoirs will affect the next sowing season. Parts of Maharashtra and other agricultural states have observed drought periods lasting from two to three weeks during the monsoon season.

In Bide, Maharashtra, where agriculture is traditionally challenging due to arid conditions and water shortages, farmer Parmeshwar Torat has learned to work with limited water resources.

On his 1.75-acre farm, he grows avocados, directing water precisely where it is needed, storing rainwater for dry months, and preparing the soil before planting. He began experimenting with avocado cultivation in 2018 after learning about the Arka Supreme variety in Bengaluru. Later, he visited the ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research to better understand this crop.

His experience offers several practical lessons for farmers striving to protect their crops under water scarcity.

Water Retention at the Roots

The first step taken by Torat was installing a drip irrigation system. Instead of uniformly distributing water across the entire field, this system delivers it directly to the plants. This allows available water to reach the root zone, minimizing losses.

He notes: 'Drip irrigation delivers water and other nutrients directly to the roots, minimizing losses.' For farmers facing water shortages, this method provides more targeted watering instead of relying on large volumes of water sprayed across the field.

Collecting Every Drop

The avocado farmer also uses a pond on his farm to collect rainwater runoff. The water collected during the monsoons is stored and then used in drier months. This reduces his dependence on groundwater after the cessation of rainfall.

He explains: 'We collect as much rainwater as possible during the monsoons and use it in the dry seasons. This helps maintain the farm's sustainability.' This practice is particularly relevant for farms in regions where rainfall occurs in short bursts. Instead of letting rainwater run off the farm, collecting it creates a source that can be utilized during the next dry spell.

Starting with the Soil

Before planting avocado saplings, the farmer prepared the soil by digging two-by-two-foot pits across 0.75 acres of his land. He filled these pits with cow manure. He says: 'I knew the soil needed enrichment to provide nutrients to the plants.'

Soil preparation became part of his efforts to stabilize the plants in the challenging conditions of Bide. He later transitioned to organic farming, replacing the chemical fertilizers and pesticides he initially used with cow manure and natural farming methods.

Choosing the Right Crop

For Torat, drought management also began with the decision of what to grow. He did not immediately plant avocados. After learning about the Arka Supreme variety during a visit to Bengaluru, he studied its suitability for the Maharashtra climate and visited ICAR-IIHR to learn about its cultivation. He believes this variety can withstand temperatures from 40 to 45 degrees Celsius, making it suitable for the hot conditions of Bide. He then ordered 50 saplings from Karnataka.

His experience highlights another aspect for farmers facing changing precipitation patterns. Crop selection must take into account the conditions under which it will actually be grown.

Farming with Less Water

The avocado farmer's approach to agriculture in a water-scarce region was not based on a single solution. His farm integrated drip irrigation, rainwater harvesting, and soil preparation. Furthermore, he adopted organic farming practices after initially using chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

The result was an agricultural system designed around his available water volume, rather than assuming water would always be abundant. For farmers entering the final phase of the monsoon, his experience offers a modest lesson. When rainfall becomes uncertain, protecting the harvest can begin with judicious use of every available drop, accumulating water when it arrives, and choosing cultivation methods appropriate to local conditions.

As Torat says: 'Farming is not easy. There will always be difficulties, but with determination and a willingness to learn, everything can be overcome.'

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thebetterindia.comSeptember 18, 14:30

Simple Bhungroo system helps Gujarat farmers store excess rainwater underground

In some areas of Gujarat, the rains that cause fields to flood during the monsoon can be critically needed just a few months later. Stagnant water can damage crops, and the subsequent long dry season puts farmers in a difficult position due to lack of irrigation.

Bipalb Ketan Paul wondered how farmers could store this excess moisture instead of losing it. The solution was the Bhungroo system, developed in Gujarat, which directs surplus monsoon water underground for storage and later retrieval during the dry period.

This concept simultaneously solves two problems: water surplus during heavy rains and water scarcity when plants need watering.

An idea born from Gujarat's water crisis

Bipalb Ketan Paul worked with communities in Gujarat for many years, and after the 2001 earthquake, he became more closely involved with the region's water-related problems. He observed how farmers faced an unusual cycle: months of water shortage alternated with monsoon rains so intense that fields became flooded.

This contrast raised a practical question: could the excess rain flooding farms be stored underground and used when farmers truly needed it? Working with engineers and local women farmers, whose knowledge of soil, fields, and rainfall shaped the process, Paul began developing what eventually became Bhungroo. The first version of the rainwater filtration and storage system was ready in 2004 after many years of experiments and trials.

The name itself refers to a hollow pipe in the Gujarati language, which is the basis of the entire idea.

How does Bhungroo work?

Bhungroo is based on a relatively simple principle: diverting excess rainwater away from the surface and accumulating it underground until the farmers require irrigation. A Bhungroo installation begins with a small cement storage pit. During heavy rain, surplus water from the farm flows into this pit, where it is filtered, and then directed through a pipe drilled deep into the ground, sometimes to a depth of about 100 meters.

Instead of letting rainwater remain on the surface and damage the harvest, Bhungroo channels it into suitable layers of underground aquifers where it can be stored. When the dry season arrives, farmers can pump out the stored water for irrigation. Simply put, the ground beneath the farm turns into a seasonal water reservoir: farmers save excess rain during the monsoon and use it later when the fields need water.

The system also helps reduce waterlogging and evaporation losses. In saline areas, the stored rainwater can help reduce the salinity of groundwater, increasing agricultural land productivity. Depending on the soil, rainfall, and aquifer conditions, a Bhungroo installation can store large volumes of monsoon water underground for future use.

Why each Bhungroo must be individually designed

A key feature of Bhungroo is the absence of a single standard that could be applied everywhere. Soils, slopes, aquifers, and rainfall patterns differ from one farm to another. Therefore, each system must be adapted to the local terrain and groundwater conditions of the application site.

It is here that the knowledge of the farmers themselves becomes indispensable. Women farmers participate in identifying suitable locations and help manage the system based on their understanding of the land. According to this model, five women can form a Bhungroo group. The system can be installed on one member's land, and the stored water is distributed among the group members. This means the technology can influence access to irrigation, crops, and agricultural income.

Women farmers are at the center of the model

Naireeta Services, founded by Trupti Jain, works to place women at the center of Bhungroo implementation. For women farmers who have limited access to irrigation and agricultural income, having water outside the monsoon season can change the volume of their harvest and earnings from their land. With water available in dry months, some women have been able to harvest two or three times a year. The resulting income and food security can reduce the need for migration for work and help families stay in their villages.

The technology has spread beyond Gujarat. It has been implemented in several Indian states, as well as in countries like Bangladesh, Ghana, and Vietnam. In 2007, Bhungroo received recognition at the World Bank's Indian Development Market, and later received the UN Momentum for Change award for its work with women farmers.

As rainfall becomes increasingly unpredictable, Bhungroo offers one way to solve a problem faced by many farmers: water comes at the wrong time. More than two decades after the first version was developed, the principle remains simple: store excess monsoon water when there is too much, so farmers can use it when there is too little. What started as a response to flooded and water-scarce farms in Gujarat has spread to other parts of India and abroad. Nevertheless, every Bhungroo still starts with the same questions: how does it rain here, what is under this specific piece of land, and what do the farmers working on it know about it?